National Rodeo Finals this Weekend in Des Moines

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DES MOINES, Iowa – There’s a new event in town and it features young competitors that have unique talents.

The Iowa State Fairgrounds is hosting the National Junior High Finals Rodeo Championships.

Eleven-hundred junior high kids from 42 states, Canada and Australia will compete in 11-different events.

It’s the best of the best in the 15 and under age group.

The competitors have been going to qualifying rodeos all year in order to get to this point.

“You have to practice really hard and then it’s a mental game. If you’re not focused, you’re going to do very well. You have to work at it every day, if not you won’t be very good at it,” competitor Dallen McIntire said.

There are chances for the competitors to win a cut of $300,000 in scholarships.

The event begins Sunday night and lasts through all of next week. Performance times are 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily.